The Hunt For Gollum: Aftermath
by Firefly-Maj
Summary: Aragorn has finally managed to capture Gollum, but the latter is not to be subdued so easily, and as they arrive in Mirkwood, life-threatening events unfold which the Ranger could not have anticipated. Will Legolas be able to save him in time? No slash.
1. Mislead

_A few author´s notes_:

This was originally written as a surprise Christmas present for a great friend, who has allowed me to publish it here on ffnet.

This is my take on the events which unfold when Aragorn and his prisoner Gollum arrive in Mirkwood. Gandalf says about it:"My friend returned out of great perils bringing the miserable creature with him" (_The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Book One, page 58). _He does not specify what exactly those perils were.

My portrayal of the Elves of Mirkwood is much less light-hearted than in the books; since their home has fallen under a shadow, I cannot but imagine them as being rather cautious and wary. We do not learn a lot about Thranduil, so I felt free to have him being a bit overwhelmed by the events.

Furthermore, this story is written in the present tense so as to make it more intense.

Please read and review!

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_Disclaimer_: I do not own any of the original storylines or characters, and not profit is being made by using them.

Fenghel is mine, though, and I can sell him to the highest bidder if I wish to do so. =)

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**Chapter 1: Mislead**

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Aragorn blinks, trying to focus. It is nearly too hard a task, since his vision is slightly blurry and the severe headache that has been there for two days will not cease.

Everything is wet from the heavy rainfalls which have only stopped an hour ago. Yet it seems that the respite will soon be over again; dark clouds are hanging low in the sky. The ground is slippery from thick layers of mud and makes it hard to keep one´s footing.

Aragorn feels himself trembling and takes a deep breath: he will need his courage, since his strength is waning and his task far from over yet.

Another tug on the thin rope which he has wound around his wrist jerks him out of his thoughts: Gollum has been growing even more restless over the last few hours, jumping here and there and thus jeopardizing Aragorn´s balance.

The Ranger squares his shoulders in an effort to straighten up and grips the rope tightly: "Stop that, will you?"

Gollum gives a strangled cry and starts to hiss: "It strangless uss, yess, yess... filthy man triess to kill uss!"

Aragorn subdues a sigh: he has learned long ago that neither argueing nor patience are helping with Gollum´s twisted mind. It would be best to ignore him, ignore the abuse from his mouth and the sinister yellow eyes which even seem to glow in the dark like a cat´s, but as that is not possible, he tries to restrain him as best as he can, and hurries on on their lonesome and awkward journey.

Gollum is now tugging on the rope again, and Aragorn follows him.

He cannot but feel pity for the creature; when Gandalf first told him about Gollum´s strange fate, he hardly believed it possible at all.

-

Gollum is a deceiver, though, and his wrangled form is likely to delude anyone. No one who first saw him would think him cunning, and yet he is. He knows how to hide and how to cheat, and most important, how to kill. For Gollum, there is only one thing that is important: the Ring, and to get it back.

Aragorn had not been willing to give up on the creature so easily yet, and had been rewarded by a bite he had received on his hand.

From that point on, he had hardly dared to sleep anymore, worried that Gollum might really try to kill him just as he was threatening whenever he thought that his captor could not hear him.

He can still feel the marks of Gollum´s teeth; it had hurt enough that he was not able to grasp anything tightly for several days.

Tiredness is engulfing him now that the end of their journey seems near; they are approaching Mirkwood, where Gollum is supposed to stay under the watch of the Wood-Elves. Aragorn´s weary heart rejoices at the thought of his best friend, whom he has been longing to meet again for years. And he is looking forward to being free again, not being connected to a loathsome figure day and night anymore. His body and mind crave for rest and quietness like he has never experienced it before.

-

Despite his headache and blurry vision, Aragorn notices the changes in their surroundings, the unusual darkness underneath the trees: he has never been to Mirkwood before, it is of yet a place he only knows from Legolas´ tales.

Gandalf has so much as instructed him to be wary at entering the realm; he was going to inform the Wood-Elves about Aragorn´s and Gollum´s arrival, but as long as Aragorn had not had the chance to confirm his identity with Mirkwood´s guards, he is supposed to be careful. They do not have the reputation of being patient, which in Aragorn´s opinion is understandable after all that has happened to their home.

Gollum apparently has noticed the eerie change as well: he looks around unblinkingly and is silent for once, much to Aragorn´s relief.

While they are trudging on, it starts to rain again, a fine drizzle which feels like perpetually walking through a sheen of water. That is another thing Aragorn really looks forward to: being dry for once. He tries to keep close to the trees for at least the illusion of shelter; it makes their progress even slower, but it does not really matter anymore. The trembling has turned into shaking, and his knees feel week. He knows that his strength is nearly spent, and that thought worries him.

He is being jerked out of his thoughts again when Gollum suddenly shrieks loudly; when Aragorn looks up, he finds himself facing the tip of an arrow. He immediately stops moving, which is not so easy with Gollum fidgeting on the other end of the rope.

It is a hooded figure clad in the colours of Mirkwood whose arrow is aiming at Aragorn, and there are more. The Ranger counts at least six Elves, but he guesses that these are only those he can see; there will be more, hidden in the trees. Mirkwood has learned its lesson.

Aragorn does not want to seem disrespectful, so he waits for the Elf to speak.

"Who are you, and why dare you intruding our borders?" The Elf´s voice is harsh.

Aragorn is just about to bow and reply when Gollum gives a long-drawn out wail: "It wantss to kill uss, yess, yesss! It´ss evil, it´s dangerousss, it wantss to kill nice Elvssessss!"

Aragorn gasps at this: once again, he has underestimated the creature. Gollum is not done, though: "He killsss all, he killssss nice Elvssess and takess their preciousss, yesss, yesss!"

The Ranger turns back to the Elf, who pushes back his hood now, looking from Aragorn to Gollum and back. His fair face is contorted with mistrust while he assesses Aragorn thoroughly through squinted eyes. Aragorn knows how he must look after the past ordeal, but he endures the scrutiny nevertheless. There will be time for explanations later.

Unfortunately, the Elf now discovers the dagger which Aragorn wears at his belt, which was a gift from Legolas long ago. The Elf´s gaze hardens as he recognizes the Elven runes on the delicately crafted handle; with narrowed eyes, he stares at Aragorn, who finds it increasingly difficult to return the look- not because he is intimidated, but because his head is throbbing mercilessly, and the intense pain nearly forces his eyes to close. It takes an enormous effort to keep them open and to hold his head up. The world around him seems strangely muted all of a sudden, but the sharp voice of the Elf rouses Aragorn´s attention, forces him to concentrate back on the sitation.

The Elf nearly spits his next words: "It seems you cannot even look me in the eye, human! I do not deem this as inspiring confidence, apart from your strange companion, so you better leave now, for your own good."

At this moment, Gollum gives the rope another sharp tug: "No, no, don´t ssend uss away with it! It hurtss uss, it makess uss watch it killing pretty Elvssesss and taking their preciousss..." Before Aragorn can comprehend what he just said, Gollum pulls on the rope again, being fully aware that the man on the other end is not anticipating it in his present state. Aragorn, indeed being too preoccupied with simply standing up straight, loses his balance. And staggers forward. He somehow manages not to fall, but collides with Gollum, who now howls out loud: "It hurtss uss again, it hatess uss!"

Panting, Aragorn tries to get away from him, away from the noise which only increases the excruciating pain in his head, but finds that Gollum is holding on to him. "Let go of me", Aragorn hisses. Gollum wails even louder: "Nooo, don´t make _usss_ do it, preciouss, no..." Within seconds, he suddenly holds Aragorn´s dagger in his hand. The man struggles to get it, but Gollum is quicker than him: without so much as blinking, he throws the dagger in the direction of the Elves: "Nooo, don´t kill pretty Elvssesss...." Then he goes limp and quickly scuttles away from the Ranger. Simultaneously, Aragorn is struck by an arrow. The force behind the impact and the immediate pain are too much for him: gasping, he collapses and is unconscious before he hits the ground.

Gollum hesitantly watches the Elves: he is excited because his plan has worked, but he still has to get free.

The Elves have no desire to set him loose, however, and take him with them; after a heated discussion about what to do with the intruder, they decide to take him to the palace as well, where he will be dealt with.

-

At dusk, the patrol reaches the palace.

Fenghel, the Elf who has been in command, as he happens to be the head of the guard, goes to report to the king.

Thranduil quietly listens to him and only asks questions after he has finished: "And that creature is not actually Orc-related?"

"I would not say so, sire", Fenghel replies. "Both him and the human seemed utterly tattered, as often is the way of highwaymen and thieves, but to me he does not seem to come from Mordor."

Thranduil ponders this while he turns the captive´s weapons over. They are of fine make and undoubtedly Elvish. He feels anger welling up in him, and compassion for the Elf or Elves who probably has or have died and then been robbed of these.

"He will receive the proper punishment, if he survives", he murmurs. He is not very keen on dealing with this man, as his experience with humans is limited and largely negative. He does not trust them and certainly does not wish to be near them; knowing that one of them is imprisoned down in his dungeons is making him terribly uncomfortable.

Fenghel bows: "I will go down and check on how he fares. He has not woken up yet, however, thus I might not be able to talk to him."

Thranduil nods: "Very well. If he dies, it is his own doing, after all. He should neither have tried to intrude nor to attack the patrol."

Fenghel´s mouth is twitching in unvoluntary amusement: he still wonders how anyone, even a human, could be foolish enough to try something futile like that in such a situation. Well, the human will certainly pay for this, as the sentence for attempted murder is death.

Thranduil looks up: "My son will be back from the hunt in a few days; he shall be present at the trial, if it will still be necessary by then. I do deem he has not witnessed a case like this before."

Fenghel bows again, not showing his contempt: "My lord." He deeply admires his king, but does not think highly of the prince. In his eyes, Legolas has done nothing to deserve the throne.

-

A few minutes later, the head of the guard enters the dungeons. It is a place he dreads, as it is too dark and cold for an Elf, but he does not feel pity for the prisoner, who lies alone in one of the small cells.

The Elves have shackled his wrists and ankles and have chained him to the wall. None of them has had much experience with humans, and they wanted to make sure that he is of no danger to them anymore.

Cautiously, Fenghel opens the iron door; the prisoner seems still unconscious. They had pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and had made a makeshift bandage, but it seems that it has bled some more, since there is a dark pool of blood on the ground. Fenghel kneels down next to the man: his face is pale and lifeless. Apart from his slightly laboured breathing, there is no other sound to be heard. He might not even live to see his trial, which would be a shame, but on the other hand it would be one enemy less.

Shuddering, Fenghel gets up again: the moist air is unpleasant against his skin, and he starts to feel the cold. With one last glance to the still figure on the ground, he turns to go.

The creature Gollum has been locked into another cell, but not as heavily bound as the man; the Elves just did not manage to get hold of him, and as he tried to bite, they reluctantly quit their attempts.

Fenghel glances into his cell as he passes, but Gollum has curled up on himself and does not make a sound either.

-

He cannot leave the darkness. Panic grips his mind as he realizes that he is trapped, that the impenetrable blackness around him will not release him. It keeps him in pain and coldness, not even allowing him to move.

Aragorn´s mind is too feverish to realize that he has woken up in darkness, he cannot differentiate between being awake and being unconscious. He can forget the pain when he sinks back into oblivion, but as soon as he comes to, if only for seconds, he finds himself in agony, even though his body seems to have gone numb. Time has lost all meaning, as it is always dark.

He only properly wakes up once; he needs a while to regain his senses, and when he does, he immediately regrets it. He cannot remember what has happened or where he is. His shoulder sends waves of nauseating pain through his whole body, and he soon discovers that moving is impossible due to his bonds. He is trembling violently, though if it is because of blood loss or the terrible cold, he cannot say. He feels sick and thirsty at the same time. Miserably, he closes his eyes again; there is nothing else he can do, and he is tired, so tired...

--

**TBC**

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_A few more author´s notes (on the dungeons)_:

During the Council of Elrond, Legolas says that the Elves had released Gollum from the dungeons and had guarded him night and day: "(...) we had not the heart to keep him ever in the dungeons under the earth, where he would fall back into his old black thoughts." "You were less tender to me," said Glóin with a flash of his eyes, as old memories were stirred of his imprisonment in the deep places of the Elven-king´s halls. (_The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Book Two, page 255)_


	2. A Reason For Dread

_Author´s note_: I was very happy about the number of people who have read the first part of the story, and especially about the reviews which are highly appreciated! Thank you all again! And now- on to chapter 2!

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2: A Reason For Dread**

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Thranduil smiles as his son fondly greets him: "Well met, Legolas." "Well met, father."

They hug. Thranduil clasps Legolas´ arms afterwards: "I see that you have been quite successful, judging not only by your early return but also by the amount of prize!"

Legolas nods: "We have been blessed, thus we decided to come back already."

Thranduil assesses his only child: "You look tired." "I am tired, though I have to admit that I am excited as well. We have not had such a good hunt for a long time, and I long to tell you about it."

At this, the king laughs merrily: "I am sure it will be a delight. You shall be able to do so at tonight´s banquet, which I will hold in honour of the successful hunters!"

-

Legolas goes to get some rest, then; the hunt has been wearisome, and he is glad to be home again and not have to be watchful for once. Slowly, he walks to his room, starting to unwind for the first time in days. He cannot put his finger on it, but his mind has been growing strangely uneasy the nearer they had gotten to the palace.

Everything seems well, however, and his father seemed relaxed. Legolas resolves to ask him at the banquet nevertheless.

Thranduil is relaxed indeed; he has completely forgotten about the prisoner due to the unexpectedly early return of the hunting party, and even if he had been on his mind, would it not have bothered him greatly. He has decided not to put too much emphasis on the whole matter, and there are more important things on his mind now.

-

Merry voices, laughter and music fill the hall of Thranduil, the king of the Woodland Realm. It is a happy occasion indeed, as the coming winter does not hold the fear of starving anymore, and all the hunters have returned safe and sound.

Thranduil has keenly listened to their reports and is obviously in a good mood. Legolas watches him carefully but does not find anything which might hint that he is upset about something, though the prince´s inner discomfort has grown ever since his arrival.

"How did you fare while I was away?", he finally asks Thranduil after the dinner, while they are enjoying a glass of wine.

Thranduil smiles: "Everything stayed calm. There was only one incident at the borders, which the guards have handled as well as could be."

Legolas eyes him curiously: "Why, what happened?"

His father shrugs: "Two intruders tried to cross the borders, and when the guards stopped them, they attacked."

"Was anyone hurt?" "Only one of the intruders, our guards have been blessed. We will set up a trial soon."

Legolas nods. Things like these happened now and again. He is about to ask who the intruders had been, but is being distracted by Thranduil, who just now remembers something else: "A letter has arrived for you, I believe it is from Lord Elrond´s sons." Legolas´ face lights up: "I have longed to hear from them for some time now."

His father nods as well: "It is on my desk, if you would like to have it now."

Smiling, Legolas gets to his feet: "Very much so, if you will excuse me."

-

While he is walking down the quiet, dark hall towards his father´s study, Legolas´ worry increases again. With all his might, he wishes that it does not have anything to do with the twins´ letter, and subconsciously balls his hand into a fist.

He finds the scroll of parchment immediately, as it is bearing the familiar crest of Imladris. With trembling hands, he opens it and finds a second, slightly smaller scroll inside, adressed to his father. He puts it on the desk and quickly scans the twins´ letter, half-expecting some bad news.

There are none, however. They have written about their most recent encounters with Orcs and their plans to come visit sometime in the near future, and send him greetings from Mithrandir, whom they have met accidentally and who has sent the other scroll. They have not had word from Aragorn personally lately, but Mithrandir seems to have met him and says he is well.

With an awkward feeling, Legolas looks up. Why does he not feel relieved at this? He rolls the parchment up and leaves the study to go outside for a while. Maybe the stars will be able to console him.

-

This night, Legolas does not find any rest until dawn, however. He sleeps until the late morning and wakes up feeling blearily. Sighing, he gets up, deciding to talk to his father about it. Thranduil is already working in his study. Legolas silently enters and finds his father reading the scroll of parchment from Gandalf. He does not want to interrupt but sits down opposite of the desk, waiting for him to be finished.

Thranduil seems agitated, however , and his face is strangely pale when he looks up: "Legolas..." "What is it?", Legolas asks, the feeling of dread creeping back up his spine immediately. "What is wrong?"

Thranduil clears his throat, obviously looking for the right words: "Do you remember that I told you about the intruders?"

"Yes, I do. What of them?" Legolas asks with a sinking feeling: he still does not know what exactly has upset Thranduil like this, but now he is sure that it has something to do with his own unease, and he can feel his stomach clench together.

His father looks uncomfortable: "It appears that they have been sent by Mithrandir. Or, to specify, one of them has been sent by him." He suddenly starts to tremble and gets to his feet: "Legolas, I have made a terrible mistake! Fenghel...there must have been a misunderstanding! We have to... Eru, what have I done..." He rushes out of the room.

Legolas gets up as well and takes the letter. He reads it quickly, and drops it with a cry of dismay before he has even finished it, taking after his father as fast as he can: Thranduil is amazingly quick. His son only manages to catch up with him at the bottom of the stairs which lead down to the dungeons.

The king, who has grabbed a torch,hurries through the murky darkness and finally stops in front of one of the cells.

"Father, wh-" Legolas forgets what he intended to say as his gaze falls on the prisoner. He uncomprehendingly stares at the unmoving figure for what seems like an eternity, then with one step he enters the cell and kneels down next to the man. Gasping, he reaches out to touch him, only now becoming aware of the chains. "Get these off", he hisses, not caring how he is talking to his father, as he is still taking in his best friend´s condition, and now he knows where his dread has come from.

-

No one seems to have bothered to treat the wound, which obviously has bled profusely. Legolas can hear that the Ranger is still breathing, and there is a faint flutter against his fingers, the echo of a heartbeat; Legolas could have wept. But he can also feel the clamminess of the man´s skin, the heat which radiates off his temples and betrays the raging fever, and knows that there is no reason to be relieved yet.

Legolas turns to his father, who is fidgeting with the keys to open the chains: "I will do this", he says, devoid of any emotion, "go and get help. We need to take him upstairs, and he needs Baram!"

Thranduil has never heard his son talking like this before, but does what he says.

Legolas turns back to his friend and cautiously opens the irons. He removes them as gently as possible, then leans forward and strokes the hair out of the man´s face. "Aragorn", Legolas says, trembling, but to no avail. The man obviously cannot hear him. He looks more haggard than ever, his face being very thin, dark shadows showing underneath his eyes, and his breathing sounds unusually laborious . The Elf is near tears as he grasps his friend´s hand and waits for the others to arrive.

-

The guards look mystified about this sudden change of the situation, but do as the prince orders and bring the prisoner up to Legolas´ own room. The healer, Baram, enters just as they leave. His stares at the man for a few seconds before he turns to the king in question: "A human, mylord?"

Thranduil opens his mouth but does not get to answer, because Legolas interrupts: "A human indeed, and one that is very dear to me!" he snaps. "So you will do whatever you can to save him, or you will have to answer to me!"

Baram looks bewildered, but bows his head and quickly starts to examine his new and quite unexpected patient.

When he finally looks up, his face is very serious: "He is grievously ill, my lord.", he says, addressing Legolas this time. "The wound is infected, and he seems to have lost a lot of blood. Apart from that, I can hear that his lungs are affected from the cold and dampness in the dungeons."

Legolas´ voice is barely audible as he turns to face his father: "For how long exactly has he been down there?"

Thranduil sounds apologetic: "Three days. But, Legolas- he has attacked the guard..." The words die on his tongue as his son stares at him incredulously and with a murderous expression which the king has never before witnessed in his features.

Legolas finally closes his eyes: it pains him to know that his friend has suffered this long, being injured and sick and alone in the cold darkness. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Baram, who still stands motionless: "What are you waiting for?"

Baram shifts uncomfortably on his feet: "My lord- I can treat the wound, but I do not possess any knowledge about human illnesses. I- I do not know what to do!"

Legolas gasps: "Then you will have to find out, after you have seen to the wound! I will help you, but you better do not hesitate any longer!"

Baram only nods. He has known Legolas for a long time and has never experienced him as moody and imperiously as he appears now. But the healer can also see that the prince´s hands are trembling slightly, and he suddenly understands. Legolas fears that his friend is going to die. Baram, who is quite shocked about how the prisoner has been treated, or rather, has been left on his own, feels sympathy for the prince, so he turns around and starts to unbutton the man´s shirt. The guards had already removed his coat by means of cutting it to shreds when they had seen to the wound. Carefully, Legolas and Baram start to undress the Ranger, and Thranduil, who feels like an intruder himself now, silently leaves the room.

-

As evening falls, Legolas still sits with his friend, who has not woken up once. He is clean now and wears a dry, soft nightshirt; his face is white. The healer has treated and dressed the arrow wound; he has also discovered Gollum´s bite marks while he was feeling Aragorn´s bones to check that nothing was broken. The hand seemed slightly swollen, so he cleaned it as well and put some disinfecting solution on it.

After they were done, Baram has gone to see if he can find some knowledge about how to cure human diseases in the library.

The prince and the healer found that the man´s clothes were slightly damp as well, as it had been too cold for them to dry properly, and Legolas could feel that Baram was quite deject by the ill treatment the man had received. Legolas can of course only guess what has happened, but he is confident that his friend under no circumstances would have tried to attack the guard, it is just not possible.

Thorough disappointment about his father gnaws at him and hurts more than he would have thought possible, but he cannot deal with it now. His friend is all that counts at the moment, he has no patience for anything else.

He looks down on the still face and removes the cold cloth which he is using to cool down the burning skin. He soaks it in a bowl of cold water, then applies it anew. He feels very helpless, as all he can do is to hope and wait that Baram will find something.

Gently, he takes the Ranger´s uninjured hand in his and holds it tight: "Aragorn", he whispers. "Stay with me, my friend..."

--

**TBC**

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_PS for the disclaimer in chapter 1: _Baram is mine, too, but I would never want to sell _him_...


	3. Of Another Kind

Mae Govannen, dear readers, here we go- chapter three.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter 3: Of Another Kind**

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Baram sighs. He has leafed through so many books by now that his fingers feel chafed, but has not found what he was looking for. Despite the large number of books in Thranduil´s library he does not really expect to be successfull, as human illnesses are not a matter of interest in the Elven kingdom, but giving up is not an option. He does not want to disappoint the prince, and apart from that, he has taken pity on the man. Baram knows that he will very probably not survive if they cannot help him, and once the dirt had come off, the healer was surprised to see that the man did not actually look as old as he had expected, but seemed much younger despite his present state. His body showed evidence of malnutrition and hardship, however, and judging from that as well as the state of his remaining clothes Baram suspects that he had already been ill before he had arrived. He does not know what exactly is going on, as Legolas has told him only a little bit, but still he cannot but feel for the human.

Hesitantly, the healer turns to look at a book he has put aside earlier. After another moment´s hesitation, he takes it and opens it. If there is nothing more appropriate to be found, this one might do. It is the only chance he has, after all.

-

Legolas has dozed off when Baram comes back in, carrying a tray. The prince jerks awake and finds himself sitting in the chair next to the bed. Aragorn seems to be dreaming and has started to move restlessly, shivering and trembling. Legolas strokes his hair, his temple, to calm him, and whispers soothing words in Elvish, hoping that his friend is able to hear him. He cannot judge if that is the case, but Aragorn calms down after a while. Legolas breathes a small sigh when his friend lies still again. He is only half aware of Baram being there, until the healer puts a hand on the prince´s shoulder: "My lord? I will need your help."

Legolas nods, his eyes never leaving Aragorn, until Baram reinforces the pressure on his shoulder in silent understanding for a moment. Only then does the younger Elf look up, his eyes dark and sorrowful: "I cannot lose him", he says, bare audible.

Baram nods. "You will not", he replies with more confidence than he feels.

-

They make Aragorn drink a tea that the healer has prepared. They then apply a salve which strongly smells of mint and other herbs on his chest and poultice it with a warm cloth. They also poultice his legs with cold cloths, spread two additional blankets over him and stoke the fire in the fireplace.

Baram finally nods; that is all they can do for now. "We have to make him drink in regular intervals", he says, "and replace the warm and cold cloths as well."

Legolas nods as well: "Thank you", he murmurs. "Please, forgive me for how I spoke to you earlier. I did not mean to be disrespectful, I was just so annoyed..."

Baram smiles sadly: "There is nothing to forgive, mylord."

-

It is late at night.

Legolas has sent Baram to go and rest; he is tired himself, but wide awake at the same time. How could his father have acted like this? This one thought keeps spinning in his head while he watches over his friend.

Aragorn´s fever is still high, but the herbs seem to help him breathe more easily. Legolas is holding his hand whenever he has nothing else to do, as he wants the man to know that a friend is with him.

He has not seen him in years, which he regrets now; he had not expected Aragorn to look so old, nor to look so haggard, even gaunt. It unpleasantly reminds him of the fact that their time together is limited, as Aragorn is no Elf.

Legolas sighs. The tears which he has been holding back all day now force their way out, and while he continues to hold Aragorn´s hand, he allows his grief to break free.

-

In the small hours of the new day, Aragorn comes to. Legolas has just applied a fresh layer of salve and has put the poultice back on the man´s chest. He is tucking his friend back in when he notices a movement and indeed finds that the Ranger´s eyes are opening slowly. It is still dark in the room, only the fire spreads a bit of light, but Aragorn´s fever- glazed gaze clings to Legolas as if he were an apparition.

The Elf quickly takes his friend´s hand again: "Aragorn", he breathes, "it is I, Legolas! You are safe now, all is well..."

Aragorn tries to say something, but his voice fails and the sound ends in a cough. Legolas helps him to drink some water: "Do not try to speak yet", he then says fondly. "You have a bit of recovery ahead of you, my friend."

The Ranger blinks, looking exhausted: "G´lum", he manages to say despite Legolas´ words, and it sounds like a question. It takes the Elf a few seconds to realize that he is talking about the creature he has brought to Mirkwood.

Legolas has not given it much thought until now, but he seeks to comfort Aragorn: "He is here, do not worry so", he replies. He smiles despite his sorrow as he strokes Aragorn´s temple: "Rest now, Strider. I will stay with you."

After a few more seconds, the man´s eyes close again. Legolas feels a faint squeeze on his hand, and strokes Aragorn´s with his thumb.

-

In the morning, Baram comes back. He is utterly relieved that their ministrations seem to have an effect, after all. The fever is still there, but due to the man´s exhausted body that is hardly a surprise; he had not expected it to cease at all.

Legolas looks exhausted as well; the emotional strain as well as the lack of sleep is showing on his face, but he refuses to leave Aragorn´s side. Baram knows better than to try and argue, so he just goes to get some more tea, and when he comes back, he also brings some breakfast for the prince. Legolas smiles gratefully; now that he smells the fresh bread, he realizes how starved he is, not having had dinner the day before. He inquiringly looks at the tea which Baram has brewed for Aragorn: "Where did you find something about human remedies at all?", he asks. To his surprise, Baram blushes until he is deeply red.

"Er..." the healer fiddles around with a cloth, "well...as much as I tried did I actually not find anything about them, but... I remembered another book which helped a great deal." "Which book?" "Er... please do not get this wrong... it is about... about horse remedies..."

Legolas stares at Baram incredulously for a few seconds, then he bursts into laughter. He laughs until his ribs hurt but still cannot stop: "I cannot wait to tell him about it", he finally gasps.

"Tell who- _oh , no_ my lord, you cannot do that to me", Baram nearly cries in alarm.

Legolas is holding his stomach and wipes tears out of the corners of his eyes: "You are unbelievable. And cunning, I have to grant you that. Horse remedies..."

Baram feels the need to defend himself: "Well, horses can have similar sicknesses, so it seemed logical at that time...and it gave me some helpful ideas, after all."

He puts down the cloth and starts to examine Aragorn: "The tea has to cool down a bit. We should change his nightshirt and the bedding in the meantime, seeing as he has sweated a lot."

Legolas carefully supports Aragorn´s shoulders and lifts his upper body up. Baram is right, the nightshirt and bedding are clammy, and Legolas can still feel the unnatural warmth Aragorn´s body radiates. He can also feel the man´s every bone, it seems, and it worries him to see how much his friend has neglected himself lately.

They gently wash the sweat off him, then Baram looks after the wound. He is glad to see that the infection is nearly gone, and redresses it with a sense of relief. After they have applied fresh salve and poultices and have put on a fresh nightshirt, they make Aragorn drink the tea. He moans softly but does not wake up; his sleep is still bordering on unconsciousness.

After they have eased him back down on the pillow, Legolas thoroughly tucks him in and rekindles the fire in the fireplace.

Baram secretly admires the prince´s loyalty to his friend, which even goes as far as involving lower tasks; Legolas however is so preoccupied that he does not even notice it. To see Aragorn like this is bearing down on him much harder than he would have expected; not only because his friend has been suffering at the hands of Elves that Legolas belongs to and has trusted all his life, but also due to the harsh reminder of the fact that Aragorn is growing old.

During the long hours that Legolas has spent at his bedside the Elf has had idle time to take in his friend´s appearance, and for the first time since they have known each other has realized that Aragorn is indeed ageing. True, he is one of the Dunadán and therefore blessed with a longer life than other humans, but Legolas can see that the Ranger is not as young as he looks anymore. And now that he had the chance to look closely, he has seen that Aragorn has lost even the slightest remainders of the formerly youthful appearance he once possessed. There are more lines around his eyes, and streaks of grey are showing in his dark hair. Even though Legolas knows that any other man of 86 years would be considered as old, for him as an Elf age is too abstract a thought, and it still would not have occured to him to think of Aragorn that way. In Legolas´ eyes, he is still a child in a way, and 86 years go by in a blink. If it would not be for mortality, that is.

-

While Baram goes to make some more salve, Legolas sits down next to the Ranger again. Aragorn´s breathing is still too loud to sound normal, but at least it is evenly. His features are a bit more relaxed now, if still tired.

Legolas looks at him and suddenly, overwhelmingly misses him. He wishes to talk to Aragorn, laugh with him, see him alive and well again instead of helplessly lying here. Automatically, he takes his friend´s hand in his own and holds on to it.

Aragorn awakes again in the afternoon; the fever has slowly but steadily started to decrease.

The Ranger blinks. His body feels stiff and sore, and his head seems to be wrapped in cotton. He seems to have a fever, but it takes a moment for him to remember what has happened. The last thing he remembers is the struggle with Gollum, and then a blinding pain flaring up in his shoulder... ah yes, Mirkwood. Now he knows, and the memory makes him feel uneasy. He also remembers cold and fear-evoking darkness, but now he seems to be lying in a bed. He turns his head to look around and finds himself facing an unknown Elf, who is bending forward and looking at him: "How do you feel?", he asks now, and his voice sounds surprisingly sympathetic. Aragorn, ill as he is, is not aware that he has unconsciously recoiled from the stranger, and to see him like this pains Baram´s heart.

"Not too bad", Aragorn answers, although his voice is barely audible. The Elf smiles nevertheless, and his gaze quickly drifts downwards. The Ranger turns his head a bit more to see what he has been looking at: it is Legolas, who apparently has fallen asleep. His upper body is resting on the edge of the bed, his head on Aragorn´s arm. Only now does the man notice the weight and that someone is holding his hand, his mind is still too foggy. He smiles as well.

The unknown Elf introduces himself as Baram and helps Aragorn drink some water.

"Are you in pain?", Baram wants to know. Aragorn can feel the wound, but it is bearable. Baram seems relieved: "We have been quite worried about you", he says. "The prince has not left your side once."

"How did he find me?", Aragorn asks, his voice still weak. "The guards..."

Baram looks embarassed: "Well... the guards did not know... they brought you here, and... put you in the dungeons."

Aragorn closes his eyes for a moment: so he has not only imagined the cold and the darkness.

Baram quickly continues: "The prince was on a hunting trip at that time. But when he returned and found out about it, he immediately had you released... and he cared for you ever since."

Aragorn nods. Now he knows for certain why he remembers cold and darkness, and it explains how ill he still feels.

"What about Gollum?", he asks despite the pain in his throat.

Baram takes a moment to comprehend what the man is talking about: "Oh, the... he is still down in the dungeons."

Aragorn is relieved that they have not killed him. And the dungeons might not be the worst place for Gollum after all, since he likes cold and dark places.

Baram watches the man with honest concern; he feels ashamed for the guards once more, wishing that he could undo what they have done. Since that is not possible, he can at least do everything he can to help the stranger.

Aragorn´s eyes are closing again; he is too depleted to stay awake for long.

-

Legolas wakes up in the evening. Baram has done his best not to wake him even though he has changed the poultices twice in the meantime, and Legolas is grateful even if his body protests harshly due to the twisted posture he has been sleeping in. He stretches while Baram tells him what has happened.

"I think your friend feared me at first", he finally says, "but when he realized that I did not mean him any harm he relaxed a bit."

Legolas nods sadly: "Considering what has happened, it is not surprising."

-

Fenghel is sitting under a tree. He is off duty and pondering on the king´s unusual behaviour. It has started on the day the prince ordered the prisoner to be released; Fenghel still does not understand why Legolas has been so upset, and furthermore would like to know what has transpired between the prince and his father. It obviously has something to do with the human, but Fenghel cannot imagine why. He has heard strange rumours about the man: someone said that he is in fact the foster son of Lord Elrond of Imladris, but Fenghel hardly believed that; surely, the foster son of an Elven Lord would not look like this, and much less be a _human_.

The Elf glances up to the night-sky; he has never been able to seek solace in the stars, and they cannot give him any answers. He is not content with the king´s constantly dark mood of late, which affects the whole of Mirkwood´s court. As long as he and the prince are not on speaking terms, that will not be very likely to change soon, and Fenghel loathes the idea that the spoiled heir to the throne is ruining the king´s peace. If it weren´t for the human, the king certainly would be well.

Fenghel stares at his hands: something has to be done.

--

**TBC**

--


	4. Reinforcements

Lots of emotions in this chapter- enjoy! =)

--

**Chapter 4: Reinforcements**

--

Legolas has sent Baram off to get some rest.

It is nearing midnight when Aragorn starts tossing around; apparently, he is caught in fever dreams once more. He moans softly and tries to curl up on his side, as his back hurts. Legolas wishes to keep him from doing so, as he is afraid that the poultice around Aragorn´s chest will come off. He is on his feet in an instant, trying to hold Aragorn down as gently as possible so he will not aggravate his wound, but his friend fights against it, believing that he is still imprisoned.

Legolas crouches down next to him, pulling both his friend´s hands to himself in order to comfort him and speaking quietly but insistently to him: "Aragorn, it is I, Legolas! You are safe, do not be afraid..."

After a while, the Ranger calms down, even though he is still trembling violently. He opens bleary eyes and exhaustedly looks at the Elf: "Legolas..."

Legolas draws even nearer: "I am here, Aragorn. All is well. I will not leave you." Aragorn´s voice is barely more than a whisper: "´Tis so cold..."

Legolas tries not not to let on his anxiety at hearing this: the fever is still too high, but he can indeed feel how the man is shaking. He thought it had to do with the dreams, but now it seems that Aragorn is freezing despite the blankets and the fire. Without hesitating, Legolas slips under the blankets and cautiously wraps his arms around Aragorn to give him his warmth. After a while, the man´s shaking subsides; the Elf is not only warming him but comforting his as well. Legolas feels his bony frame and every strained breath and sighs worriedly.

Whenever Aragorn coughs, the Elf lays his hand between his friend´s shoulder blades to support him, gently rubbing his back until it is over. He whole-heartedly wishes Elrond was here, knowing what to do and just being his assuring self. He has more experience with healing human diseases and is not easily shaken by them anymore.

Legolas sighs again: what will Elrond think of Thranduil if he hears what has happened? He has tried to avoid thinking about this for the past few days, but now it all comes back to him. The man Lord Elrond considers his son has been injured by Legolas´ own people, and the prince´s father, who of all could have prevented further harm, did not even bother to check on him because of his prejudices. What hurts Legolas the most is that Thranduil knew about his son´s friendship with a human; even if he did not approve of it, could he have considered his son´s reasons and therefore his opinion in general.

Aragorn stirs again, moaning very softly, and Legolas automatically reinforces his embrace; the man huddles against him as if seeking shelter.

Legolas renews the cold cloth; the fever is slowly but steadily going to defeat Aragorn if it will not decrease any further soon. The Elf knows he should try not to despair, but it is very hard to feel this helpless. It is made even harder by the fact that Aragorn is not normally someone who depends on others; he is self-reliant and always seems in control of the situation. Now that he is so defenceless, Legolas should at least be able to be strong for him, but he feels like he is failing his friend. The Elf cannot help it; silent tears are rolling down his cheeks. After a while, he falls asleep as well, though he does not dwell in pleasant Elven dreams this time.

-

Aragorn opens his eyes and finds himself in darkness, as the candles have gone out; for one eternal moment, an inexplicable panic grabs his dazed mind, but then he relaxes. His chest feels like someone is sitting on it, but he is lying in a bed, and it is warm. His hands are not bound, though something is unusual: someone lies close to him, sheltering him in his arms. At first Aragorn thinks he is back in Rivendell, but then he catches the faint shimmer of light hair and knows it´s Legolas. He now remembers that he has talked to him before. Relieved, he closes his eyes again, even though he is thirsty: he is too tired to really care, all he wants to do is sleep. He snuggles closer to Legolas and breathes in his friend´s familiar smell: it means safety, and soon he is asleep again.

_Trying very hard not to cry and clutching his stuffed horse to his chest, Estel moved through the crowd of legs. The four year old boy could neither see his Ada nor his brothers anymore, and thus felt very alone. It was the first time that a council was being held in Imladris while Estel was there, and even though he did not understand what it meant was he being very curious about all the guests who eventually had arrived during the last few days. It also meant that he was allowed access to parts of Rivendell which he had not seen yet, as Elrond wished to avoid that the little boy would get lost or fall into one of the streams. _

_Estel had been very excited about it all, but now all he wanted was to get back to his family. The room was filled with people,and all the little one could see were either legs or floor- length robes. How was he going to get back home if he did not find Ada or the twins? Tears now welled up in Estel´s eyes, and he started to sob desperately. _

_To his surprise, he suddenly heard a voice saying his name, and then someone knelt down next to him, looking friendly, if a little concerned: "Estel, what is wrong?" _

_Estel blinked and sniffed: that was the Elf whom he had met the previous day. He was a friend of Elladan and Elrohir; they had already told Estel a lot about him, even though the boy could not remember his name in his disconcertment. But that did not matter anyway now, it was only important that he had found someone who could help him._

_Without further hesitating, he thrust himself forward into the slightly surprised Elf´s arms: "Ada is gone", he sobbed, his whole body shaking. _

_Legolas subdued a smile and wrapped the small boy in his arms, getting up again: "Do not be afraid, little one", he soothed, "we will find him. He cannot be far, you will see." Estel hid his face against Legolas´ neck, calming down because his saviour seemed so confident. He sniffed again, subconsciously taking in the stranger´s smell for the first time. _

_It was not long before Legolas had spotted the Elf-lord: "Look, Estel. There he is."_

_Estel lifted his wet face: "Ada!"_

_Lord Elrond looked at them in astonishment and accepted the little one in his arms while Legolas told him what had transpired. The Elf-lord could not subdue a soft chuckle: "It seems you are lucky that Legolas has found you, my little squirrel." _

_Estel looked at him with wide eyes and nodded so solemnly that the wood-elf found it hard not to laugh. _

"_And Brown", Estel added now. _

_Legolas assumed that he was talking about his stuffed horse, and smiled: "It was my pleasure." _

Legolas is already up and stoking the fire when Baram comes back in the morning. Together, they repeat the now familiar tasks of changing Aragorn´s nightshirt and bedding and renewing the poultices. They have just tucked Aragorn in again when someone knocks at the door: it is a messenger from the king, who has sent for his son.

Reluctantly, Legolas follows him. He knows he should have sought conversation with his father much earlier, but he just could not bring himself to do it. Thranduil has hurt him on a level which goes far deeper than personal feelings; not only he and Legolas are concerned here, but Aragorn and his family as well. Legolas still does not know how to explain this to them, and he does not even want to have to think about it, as he should not have to in the first place: it should be Thranduil´s task and his alone.

-

Legolas hesitates in front of his father´s door for a moment to take a deep breath and control his anger, then he enters quietly, only to stop dead in his tracks: to his surprise, he finds Mithrandir in the king´s study.

Bereft of any words, he looks from the wizard to Thranduil, who sits with his head bowed, and back to the guest. Mithrandir returns his look, and his eyes tell Legolas that he already knows what has happened. The Elf reads worry in them as well as sorrow. Mithrandir now bows his head slightly: "Legolas", he says softly.

Legolas inclines his head as well, then looks to his father again, not sure what to make of the situation. Thranduil does not respond, however, but avoids his son´s gaze.

The wizard now gets up and takes Legolas´ arm: "Will you be so kind and take me to Aragorn", he says and nearly pushes the prince out of the room.

"A dreadful situation", he adds as soon as they are out of earshot. "I have never seen your father so subdued! I have never seen him acting so unlike himself, come to that!"

Legolas shakes his head: "What he did is unforgivable", he murmurs, and Gandalf can hear the grief and sadness which are evident in his voice. "He is supposed to act just and lawful! He is supposed to be a good example!"

"That is not always easily achievable", Gandalf says.

"No, but it still does not require for the king to neglect his duties! He treated Aragorn like a worthless being, he did not care if he lived or died as long as he did not have to be bothered by a _human_!" Legolas nearly spits the last words, so upset is he.

Gandalf´s brow furrows: "How _is_ he?", he asks with a voice full of honest concern.

Legolas swallows hard: "At first we thought he was improving, but the fever will not decrease. We are at a loss at what to do, and I..." His voice fails him, as he is near tears again.

Gandalf gently squeezes his arm in compassion: "I am sure you have done all you could."

Legolas feels desperate: "But I fear it is not enough... I cannot undo the damage that my people have done, Gandalf!"

They stop and look at each other; tears are shimmering in the Elf´s eyes. "You should have seen him", he whispers. "Down there in the dungeons, in chains and near death. I thought I was going to lose him...The fear that has gripped me during that horrible moment will never leave my heart again... I have seen him in my dreams, Gandalf. I have seen him suffering and calling me, but I could not help him... and then he died while I was watching. And I felt like I was dying, too."

After a moment of silent comprehension, Gandalf puts his free hand on Legolas´ shoulder: "You will not lose him", he says, his voice trembling. "Not now. But do understand that the day will come, Thranduilion."

Legolas seems to sag, but he holds the wizard´s gaze: "I know" he says, barely audible.

Gandalf looks at him for a while longer, aware of how strong the situation is wearing the prince down: "Come now. I will see what I can do."

--

**TBC**

--

_Author´s note_:

Just to make it clear once again- I do not write slash, that´s why it says "no slash" in the story´s properties. I don´t mind people writing it, but it´s just not my thing and I can´t imagine Aragorn and Legolas as a couple (or any other LotR character in whichever pairing...), so please do not confuse emotions and closeness with anything but what they are.

Maj


	5. Turning For The Worse

Gandalf at last, and just about time...

Enjoy!

--**  
**

**Chapter 5: Turning For The Worse**

--

A moment later, they enter Legolas´ room. Baram looks up in surprise when he hears two different footfalls, then hurriedly bows his head.

Gandalf shortly nods but only has eyes for Aragorn, who is not awake. The wizard sits down on the edge of the bed and assesses the Ranger´s appearance; he gently takes his injured hand in his own and questioningly lifts an eyebrow.

"Gollum must have bitten him", Legolas explains. "The wound was slightly infected."

Gandalf nods in understanding; he remembers Gollum´s horrible smell and can easily imagine how filthy he is.

He looks down on Aragorn´s exhausted features and feels guilty for having his friend deal with the creature alone; he trusted the Ranger to be capable of doing so, but he had not expected to find him like this afterwards. He can distinctly see the man´s collarbones under the fabric of his shirt, and his face is thinner than ever. The hunt for Gollum apparently had become a matter of survival for both the hunted and the hunter, which is not how it was supposed to be. Gandalf wonders if they have underestimated Gollum? But that is not important now. He can feel how weakened Aragorn is, how depleted by illness and fever, and that he cannot fight it alone.

With a small sigh, the wizard lays his hand on the man´s brow and concentrates.

Legolas and Baram watch in silent apprehension and only take a breath when Aragorn suddenly moves and opens his eyes, meeting the wizard´s gaze. Gandalf smiles fondly: "There you are", he murmurs.

The Ranger seems confused, but his eyes are not as dull anymore, if still glazed over due to the fever: "Gandalf", he murmurs, "where..." "Still in Mirkwood, my friend", Gandalf replies. "I know your sense of time is completely out of balance right now, as I had to take you back."

Legolas and Baram exchange a mystified glance, but Gandalf does not seem to notice it: "Do not worry, Aragorn", he says softly. "All will be well again. We will have you back on your feet in no time at all, especially since Legolas would not have it otherwise."

The ghost of a small smile lights Aragorn´s tired face. Gandalf gingerly feels the man´s temple: "Getting the fever down", he mumbles. "Yes... Excuse me, dear friend." He gets up and approaches Baram: "What herbs do you have in store, master elf?"

-

While the wizard talks to the healer, Legolas sits down where Gandalf has just sat. Aragorn´s eyes lock on his friend, and Legolas once more feels reminded of the child he once knew.

_Estel´s grey eyes were huge and pleading: "__Just one more, please...", he begged. Legolas chuckled: "You surely know how to persuade people!" _

_Estel nodded: "That is what my brothers always say." _

_Amused, Legolas leaned back to think about what to tell the little one. Estel watched him carefully, fiddling around with his stuffed horse´s mane: "Can Brown be in it?" "Maybe he could, but then you would have to be in it as well, I would say." "Really?" "Yes, of course. He would not want to be without you, after all." "No, he would be too afraid!" "Exactly... one should never leave one´s best friend alone if he is afraid..."_

Aragorn finds Legolas´ hand and weakly squeezes it: "Why´re you looking so sad?", he asks, his voice softer than a whisper.

Legolas forces himself to smile. He cannot tell Aragorn that he, Legolas, has nearly failed him, that this time it would not have been enough to just be there. If Gandalf had not come along, Legolas could only have watched his friend perish, and he cannot bear that thought.

But he does not want to bother Aragorn with this, not now anyway. He just smiles and holds on to the man´s hand, trying not to see the child in the familiar eyes: "´Tis nothing", he therefore replies. "I just hate to see you like this."

Aragorn´s gaze is unfathomable: "So do I", he answers ever so faintly before his eyes close again.

-

Later, when Legolas looks back on those days full of sorrow and worry, he realizes that along with Mithrandir, hope has come back to him, even though he cannot get rid of his guilt.

The wizard seems to know what to do no matter how dreadful a situation, and that is exactly how he appears now as well. He has given Baram advice how to use the things he has at hand, and within a day, the fever subsides.

Legolas cannot but be amazed. It is also obvious that Gandalf has somehow supported Aragorn´s strength; the Ranger is still very weak, but his body is able to respond better to their treatment now, and his face has lost the ghastly pallour.

During the next few days, Aragorn´s condition improves greatly, and after a week in not only Baram´s and Legolas´ but also Gandalf´s care he is indeed able to stay awake for more than a few minutes. The prince, the healer and the wizard take it in turns to be with him now, even though Legolas spends the most time watching over his friend´s recovery.

-

Something else has improved as well, and that is the entire mood in the palace. Gandalf has talked to Thranduil repeatedly to make sure the king understands that no grudge is being held against him. At least on the wizard´s side, that is, as Legolas has not spoken about the matter to anyone yet, save for the one time with Gandalf. The king at last has taken heart from Gandalf´s words, which have sparked new hope in him as well: hope to be able to reconcile with his son, hope to express his heartfelt regrets, hope that the human will believe and accept his apologies. The wizard has convinced him that Aragorn would under no circumstances have attacked the guard; Gandalf has indeed no doubt that it was Gollum´s doing which somehow evoked the counter-attack.

Only one person is not happy about all this: Fenghel. The head of the guard has thought of various ways to take his revenge out on the human, but so far has been hindered by the wizard´s presence. He is determined not to be intimidated by that, however: he is patient. He can wait.

-

Gandalf has watched Legolas closely. Whenever the prince believes himself unobserved, he looks devastated. At first, the wizard believed the reason for this to be the conflict with his father, but now he is not so sure.

"Why are you feeling guilty?", he finally asks one day.

Legolas does not respond. Gandalf shakes his head: "It seems that you seek to carry a blame which is not yours to take."

Legolas answers only hesitantly: "I could not have saved him", he murmurs. "I said I did all I could, and that is true. It was not enough, however, and he still would have died..."

Gandalf snorts, causing Legolas to look up in surprise: "And do you not think Aragorn is aware that you have been there for him? That you have not left his side at all, that you have not spoken to your father ever since?"

Legolas looks uncertain; he suddenly seems like a frightened child, betraying his actual age. Gandalf is not done, however: "He knows, Legolas! Just as he knows how dear he is to you. He asked me yesterday what was wrong with you, because he can feel your sadness. And close as you two are, you should know that he knows, if you ask me!" Gandalf crosses his arms.

The Elf takes a deep breath: "I do not want him to worry about me! I just... I have looked at him and was scared by how different he looks. I have not seen him in so many years, yet they do not mean more than a few seconds to me, whereas he... he is growing old. He looks so frail! I should have been with him, should have been at his side when he dealt with Gollum. Everything would have turned out different then..."

Gandalf suddenly looks stricken: "Now that is something you should leave to me", he grumbles. "It is I who has asked him to bind that creature and bring it here. I would not have expected- ah, it does not matter now. All that matters is that you cannot turn back the time. You cannot undo what has been done, as you yourself have said before. Instead of mourning what is lost, you should rather look forward what is yet to come." He takes out his pipe and turns to go: "I will go outside with this, mind you."

Legolas looks after him for a long time.

-

Gollum is meanwhile growing more restless than ever. He hates being confined to such a small space, and the food is not to his liking either. He only eats it because he senses that there will not be anything else, and complains loudly everytime he is brought something. The guards have the strict order to ignore him, though, and thus do not care.

Aragorn on the other hand does not want to eat at all, as his stomach is too easily upset after all this time with mainly broth and bits of bread, although Legolas does his best to coax him.

"I really cannot", Aragorn says stubbornly and turns his head away. He does indeed look a bit unwell, but Legolas is desperate not to let him starve: "Be reasonable!", he says. "How do you intend to get your strength back if you do not eat?" "It makes me nauseous." "You feel nauseous because your stomach is empty!" "It only is empty because I could not keep anything down this morning!" Legolas sighs: "I know... Gandalf said it might be the herbs he had Baram add to the tea." "It was indeed worse than anything my father has ever concocted." "Or you." "I do not concoct teas." "You do, too! I remember it all too clearly: we were traveling together and I got ill-" "Being injured by a wolf is not _getting ill_." "Whatever...you made me drink that horrible tea which nearly had me faint just because of its smell!" "Exaggerating as usual..."

Even though he is worried, Legolas cannot but enjoy their bickering. He is ever so relieved to have Aragorn back, and he tries to heed Gandalf´s words. Aragorn has also noticed the change about his friend, and suspects it has something to do with the wizard, but does not ask. If there is anything to tell, Legolas will sooner or later do so.

-

The Ranger has spent endless hours pondering on Gollum; he still does not understand how all of this could have happened. He must have been quite ill already to let himself be tricked like this.

He has talked to Gandalf about it, who seemed to feel strangely guilty about the whole incident even though it could not possibly have been his fault. "I knew how conniving a creature he is", he said. "I should have warned you to be more careful." "I also knew it", Aragorn tried to reassure him. "We have been searching for him for so long, after all, that I should have expected something like that. I just became too careless."

Gandalf shook his head: "I do not believe that you have become careless, my dear friend. Things have come to pass which have worked against you, but it was not your fault. No one could have foreseen what would be happening, and no one is able to control the course of an illness."

Aragorn leaned back against the pillow; talking still tired him, but maybe it also had to do with the fact that he had been without proper company for so long. He was not used to listening to others any more, even though these were his closest friends. He felt like he had been dreaming for a long time and had finally woken up. Which of course was true in a way.

Gandalf looked at him attentively. His face lit up when their gazes met, and he smiled: "Do not worry anymore", he said in a low voice. "We all have worried enough for now."

Aragorn returned the smile, even though he inwardly disagreed: Gollum was only the vanguard, he knew, for times were becoming dark. Whenever he had been staying among people during the past few years had he heard rumours, rumours about Mordor and its servants, and it had bothered him ever since.

-

Legolas asks him what is wrong a little while later, as he can see that Aragorn is pondering something. The man sighs: "We have been hunting for Gollum for more than sixteen years. At first Gandalf was reluctant to tell me why, but he has shared his suspicions about the creature with me since, and it is not good news which he was bearing."

A shiver creeps up Legolas´ spine, for he has long expected to hear something like this. The same dark forces which have violated Greenwood the Great seem to be spreading, and the Elves have heard rumours as well, rumours which are very likely going to mean death and destruction for everyone if they proved to be true.

"What evil force is it that threatens us?", the Elf can hear himself whisper. "Where do those foul creatures come from which have lately been seen in large numbers?"

Aragorn holds his gaze, even though a pained expression appears on his face: "Mordor", he whispers. "It seems that Sauron is back."

--

**TBC**

--

_Author´s note_: Reading the books, it appears that the elves have already known which evil has befallen their home before Aragorn brought Gollum to Mirkwood, so I´ve taken some more liberties here.


	6. Amendments

Finally! Part 6!

Enjoy!

--

**Chapter 6: Amendments**

--

For an unaccounted time Legolas and Aragorn stay silent, taking comfort in each other´s presence while trying to understand the full meaning of this.

Finally, Aragorn speaks: "It seems that the old prophecies are about to become true."

Legolas slowly nods: "What will happen?", he asks, his voice barely more than a whisper. "What are we going to do?"

Aragorn cannot but smile: "We?" he asks softly.

His friend seems to wake up from a dream and lifts his head: "Yes, we. You do not seriously think I will leave your side if it comes to the worst, do you?"

The man´s smile deepens, even though it is a sad one. "I knew you would say so", he says quietly. "And I am glad about it. But I do not know what will happen, Legolas. I honestly do not know."

Legolas has not expected to feel as desperate at hearing this as he does now. Mordor has always been a distant threat, ever since he has heard the first stories about it in his childhood, but now it suddenly seems to have become real.

He looks at Aragorn and knows that his friend feels the same, and he wishes he could make it less so, could turn the story around and find a good ending for it, just like he used to do when Aragorn was small.

-

_Estel __sat up and stared at Legolas with huge, fearful eyes: "They did not kill the poor bear, did they?"_

_Taken aback, Legolas was momentarily bereft of words. "Er...", he finally said, "well... the bear has killed the people from the village and has stolen all their food, do you not remember?" _

_Estel nodded impatiently, seemingly near tears: "But Ada says that someone who is bad very often does not understand that what he is doing is wrong!" "Yes, but..." "Maybe the Ranger can tell him off and make him be ashamed and make him promise not to kill anyone ever again?" "Er-" "And then he can protect the village from other bears and maybe the people can give him food?"_

_Amused, Legolas raised an eyebrow: "Who is telling the story now, you or me?" Estel giggled: "You! And I helped!" _

_Legolas sighed good-naturedly: "Fine... "_

_Estel snuggled back into his friend´s arms, and Legolas continued: "All the people were very afraid of the bear and therefore wanted to see him dead. But what they did not know was that no one had ever told the bear that it was wrong to eat people or steal their food..."_

_-  
_

"Can nobody tell him off?", Legolas muses in a low voice, being lost in thought.

Aragorn is about to ask him what he means when someone hesitantly knocks on the door.

The two friends exchange a look, then the prince loudly says "Come in".

To their surprise, it is Thranduil who now enters the room. He looks thoroughly embarassed but does not avoid either of their gazes. Before any one of them can say something, he speaks: "I have come to apologize."

Legolas glares at him: "Father! This is hardly the appropriate-" Aragorn interrupts him, though, by laying a hand on the Elf´s arm: "Please. Let him speak.", he says.

Thranduil looks from his son to the Ranger. He can see the marks of illness in the stranger´s features, but the man´s eyes are intense, and the king is surprised how soft-spoken he is; his voice has a slightly melodic tone to it as well, evidence of his growing up among the Elves of Imladris.

Alarmed, Legolas notices that Aragorn is attempting to sit up a bit more, and immediately knows what the man intends to try: "You do not bow to him", the prince says in a low voice and places his hand gently, but firmly on Aragorn´s chest to hold him down.

"He is the king, I have to", Aragorn murmurs, but does allow himself to sink back into the pillow nevertheless; he has to admit that he is no match for Legolas right now, and his arms are already trembling violently from the minor exertion.

His son now pulls the blankets back around his friend, resting his hand on Aragorn´s shoulder for a second: "He knows you normally would", he says, still very low, then he gets up and walks over to the fireplace.

Thranduil, who has watched the two of them silently, slowly approaches the bed, feeling awkward; until now he has been largely unaware of how close Legolas and the formerly unknown human really are, but this short episode has given him an idea. "Er... I have to ask you for forgiveness, mylord", he says. "I have acted in a most intolerable way concerning your imprisonment and feel very obliged to express my heartfelt regrets."

Aragorn can see Legolas´ shoulders tense, but tries not to heed it. Thranduil seems to mean it, and his features are a single plea.

The Ranger slightly inclines his head: "Thank you, your majesty", he replies. "I did not wish to cause any inconveniences."

At this, Legolas snorts audibly. Thranduil looks from Aragorn to his son and back: "You did not. It was all a matter of misunderstanding. You are, of course, cleared of all charges. I...I do hope you will recover well." He bows his head and flees the room before the man can answer.

As soon as he is out of the door does Legolas turn around: "I do not believe it", he hisses. "There was no misunderstanding at all, it was all a matter of prejudices and neglect!"

Aragorn tries to calm him: "You have not seen his face just now, Legolas", he says. "Your father meant what he said, but he was insecure because of you, do you not understand?"

The Elf looks at his friend: he has never understood how anyone can be so forgiving, but this is just how Aragorn is. Legolas already feels calmer, if not completely appeased; the Ranger seems determined to conciliate between the prince and the king. He indeed does not feel comfortable being the cause of dispute, but right now he simply feels sympathy for Thranduil. He cannot tell Legolas, though, at least not now, as he does not wish to upset his friend any further.

-

They are being distracted by the door opening again: this time, it is Gandalf. He seems upset as well, if for entirely other reasons, and starts pacing up and down the room: "I have talked to that creature Gollum", he grumbles. "Alas, as if the word _talked _would do it justice! It is futile to expect him to answer when he is supposed to! I rather listened to his incessant _babbling_, and every once in a while did I hear something of interest for us. And no good news, that is for sure." He looks up, only now noticing the distress on Legolas´ face. The elf does not give him a chance to inquire what has transpired, however, as Legolas now asks what exactly Gollum has told Gandalf, and the wizard´s face immediately darkens: "We were right in suspecting Mordor to be on the move. Just to what to extent I cannot say yet. And I fear the worst."

Aragorn and Legolas exchange a glance.

"The worst?", repeats Legolas after a moment of tense silence.

Gandalf finally stops pacing and heavily leans on his staff, suddenly looking like an old man bent with years: "I fear the One Ring might have come back."

-

No one is able to speak.

Legolas has been outside at the first light of day, enjoying the fresh air and the beautiful light, and now he asks himself how a day that has started so promising could have turned into a day so full of threatening news and fear.

After a while, Gandalf pulls himself up to his full height: "Enough of this. I need to speak to some people... which means I have to leave immediately." His gaze falls on Aragorn, who is trying to sit up again.

"I am sorry, my dear friend. I had intended to accompany you to Imladris, but it seems that there is no time."

He sits down on the edge of the bed and restrains Aragorn from sitting up just like Legolas has done before, by placing his hand on the man´s chest. Resignedly, Aragorn looks down on it and lays back again. "Do not worry", he replies dryly, "It seems I am in Legolas´ hands. I am sure he will not let me leave before I am completely healed."

Gandalf chuckles: "I expect nothing less of him, let me assure you."

Aragorn knows he does not have to worry about him, as the wizard is able to look after himself, but for some reason he feels reluctant to let him go. It is as if from this moment on, something is going to be different; Middle-Earth has begun to change, and Aragorn is sure that it will make itself known soon. He does not say so but grasps Gandalf´s hands: "Be careful", he says quietly. His friend turns serious as they now lock gazes; he has perceived Aragorn´s concern and can guess the reason for it. "I will", he says, equally quiet. "You, too. We shall see each other soon."

-

After Gandalf has left, Aragorn feels that he is growing restless. More than once does he curse being confined to the bed; he knows that it is futile, but this way he can at least vent some of his frustration. He hates being dependent on others, even if one of them is as close a friend as Legolas.

"I need to talk to Elrond", he says. "I should be on my way to Imladris, Legolas, instead of uselessly lying here."

Legolas smiles sympathetically: "I know. You can set out as soon as you are able to; I will accompany you if you like."

Aragorn looks at him: "I would very much like that", he replies. "Though I cannot imagine what your father would say."

Legolas´ face darkens instantly: "I do not need his opinion on that", he says, his voice betraying anger. "He obviously does not heed mine, so why should I pay attention to what he says? "

Aragorn ´s gaze is sad as he now regards his friend: "Will you not talk to him?", he asks very quietly. "I know that you are angry because of what happened, but the apology he offered was sincere, I am sure."

Legolas snorts: "He did not have a choice, did he? I am aware that Gandalf has talked him into it."

Aragorn shakes his head: "Gandalf may have talked to him, but if your father is anything like you, he has come here only out of his own volition."

Legolas does not reply anything; he droops his head and suddenly looks very tired. Aragorn has rarely seen him like this, and it pains his heart now that he does. It has not gone unnoticed by him that the prince´s features are unusually strained, even unhappy whenever he thinks nobody is watching him. Wordlessly, Legolas now draws closer to his friend and allows Aragorn to lay his arm around him and pull him near.

"You will be alright", the Ranger says quietly and leans his cheek against the elf´s head, sensing that Legolas is tired of thinking about the matter, and just wishing to comfort him.

-

They stay like this in silence until it has become dark. Legolas can hear Aragorn´s breathing evening out and knows that the man has fallen asleep; cautiously so as not to wake his friend he sits up, easing Aragorn´s down arm on the bed and getting to his feet in silence.

He stokes the fire, then leaves the room; he wants to go and get a breath of the cool night´s air, hoping that it might help to ease the constriction in his chest, which he has not been able to fully get rid of lately.

--

**TBC**

--


	7. It Is In Our Blood

_Author´s note_:

Dear readers and reviewers,

thank you all for your patience! I would love to update as quickly as before but then I´d have to give up my job, which is very demanding right now. So, for the sake of making a living, I can´t write as much as I wish at the moment; let me reassure you, however, that I´ll complete the story at once if I win the lottery! =)

And now, enjoy (and don´t forget to review)!

--

**Chapter 7: It Is In Our Blood**

--

Legolas steps out into the courtyard, glancing up at the night sky; he nods to the guards who are positioned next to the main entrance and walks on, wishing to spend some time with the trees.

The guards looks at each other, then one of them turns to go; they have strict orders to alert Fenghel at once in case the prince should leave the castle.

-

Fenghel smirks at hearing the news; he has long waited for an opportunity such as this. Quickly, he leaves his quarters and heads down the stairs to the dungeon; he can hear the creature Gollum wailing even before he has reached the bottom.

Gollum falls silent as the elf opens the door to his cell, and stares at him with blatant animosity; Fenghel can make out his huge eyes in the dark. The Elf takes a step foward, causing Gollum to recoil: "Nasssty elf", he hisses, "don´t touch good Sméagol, don´t!"

Fenghel hesitates, for he does not know what to make of this: "Sméagol?", he asks sharply. "Your name is not Gollum, then?" "Nasssty", Gollum repeats, "nasssty and doesn´t know usss, no, my preciouss, doesn´t know usss at all!" He gives a strangled cry: "It´s dangerousss, yesss, yesss! The greybeard hatesss usss and sendsss pretty Elf, but it´s nasssty as well! But _we_ did do nothing wrong, no, my preciousss, we didn´t!!!"

Fenghel subdues a sigh; he knows that Mithrandir has talked to Gollum, and the foul being seems to think that he has plotted something with the wizard.

"The man", Fenghel says slowly and watches how Gollum suddenly tenses and crouches down low,"the one who captured you."

Gollum hisses: "It´sss filthy, it´s evil! Gollum, gollum!"

Fenghel smirks: "He hurt you, did he not?" Gollum nods, hesitantly, his eyes never leaving Fenghel´s face. The elf holds his gaze: "He brought you here... he is the reason why you are bereft of your freedom!"

Gollum only watches him.

"I know where he is. I can take you to him", Fenghel continues, casually. "He is of no danger for you at the moment, but he might be once he is well again... and you will forever be imprisoned then."

Gollum starts to shiver and move about agitatedly: "Ssstrangle it", he hisses, barely audible but easily understandable for an elf. "Ssstrangle it, kill it!"

Fenghel gradually moves backwards, watching Gollum; he makes sure to have the creature´s attention once more, then he steps out of the cell, leaving the door wide open. Gollum´s head snaps up at this; he has dreamed of this moment ever since the door had been locked behind him for the first time, but he is suspicious: the Elves are not to be trusted in his opinion, so why does this one want to help him?

Somewhere in the back of his confused mind an alarmed voice tries to warn him, to prevent him from following the elf, but Gollum does not pay it any heed; he yearns to get out of this hole, to move about freely, and most importantly: to look for his precious. It has been tearing at his mind mercilessly, has kept him from sleeping and tortured his hurting soul; he needs it, and to find it he must escape.

Slowly, he crawls toward the door; he will bite the Elf if it tries to hurt him, yes; bite him and run away. Thus reassured, he leaves the cell and the dungeons.

-

Baram stokes the fire; the night is cool, and Mithrandir has told him that humans are not as indifferent to coldness as elves. The healer glances at the sleeping man, then sits down in the armchair next to the fireplace, leaning his head against the backrest and gazing into the merrily dancing flames. He is glad that his patient is not in immediate danger anymore, due to the wizard´s help; he is confident that Lord Aragorn will heal and recover well now that the worst is over. Even in his weakened state the man radiates a sense of inner strength, which has not gone unnoticed by Baram.

Tiredly, he rubs his eyes; he has not had much sleep lately, being too preoccupied with the situation. Often he has sat up late and has written down his newly gained knowledge; Mithrandir has taught him a lot, and he deems the information as too valuable to just let it pass. Things might change in Mirkwood if the heir to the throne one day becomes king; thus, a book about human diseases and their cures might eventually be needed again in the woodland realm.

The Elf is gradually being pulled out of his thoughts by a strange shuffling sound. It is very low and only slowly weaves into Baram´s consciousness. Once he becomes aware of it fully he quickly sits up and turns, looking about the room, which is cast in shadows due to the fire being the only source of light: no none is there. Mystified, Baram gets up and examines his surroundings more closely. He even opens the door and looks up and down the hall, but it appears deserted.

Not knowing what to make of this, the Elf settles back down in the chair; maybe he has dozed off and dreamed it.

When Legolas comes back a while later, Baram has indeed fallen asleep; dying embers are glowing in the fireplace.

-

Fenghel balls his hands into fists due to his anger; he has seen Gollum skulking into the prince´s room, but apparently to no avail, since everything remains silent.

He leaves the building through the front door and nearly runs into Legolas. He wants to scream in frustration, but only bows instead: "My lord", he says with an effort, and hurries on. Legolas does not answer; he has not forgotten about Fenghel being the leader of the group which has nearly killed Aragorn.

He does not care if he might seem arrogant; he just does not wish to speak to the other Elf right now, least of all exchange superficial forms of address. He has noticed Fenghel´s tone and is aware that it has not been overly courteous. He sets his jaw firmly as he walks on. He is going to deal with Fenghel, but not tonight; his mind is still too upset altogether.

He takes a deep breath and enters his room as silently as he has left it; to his surprise, he finds Baram, sound asleep. During the last few days he has not been here as regularly as before, since either Legolas or Gandalf had been with Aragorn. The prince smiles, grateful for Baram´s loyalty; he should have expected nothing less.

-

Legolas does not know what Baram´s presence has actually impeded, if unknowingly so, for Gollum has not left any visible traces. Intent on taking his revenge on the Ranger, the cunning creature had crawled into the room, making odd shuffling sounds nevertheless which neither Aragorn nor Baram would have missed if they had not been sleeping and exhausted; Gollum normally knew how to sneak, but he did not feel at ease. Too deep was his mistrust of the Elves, too deep his mistrust in anyone but himself. Trembling slightly, Gollum made his way towards the bed; he could see the man who had captured him lying in the bed, his face looking more relaxed than he had ever seen it before. He was asleep, which was good; he would not be able to defend himself quickly enough. Gollum leered at him, savouring the anticipation; he could almost feel the man wriggling under his fingers, just a like fish. They always struggled, but in vain. He had not had a nice fresh fish for a long time now, and that was the man´s fault. He would strangle him, crush him, until he would not move anymore.

He had half-crossed the prince´s chamber already when the melodious sound of a nocturnal bird could be heard just outside the window, having Gollum stopping dead in his tracks for a moment and instinctly turning towards it; only then did he realize that a third person was present. His eyes widened when he saw Baram, who was sleeping open-eyed as was the Elves´ nature. Gollum however did not know this; he stared into the healer´s face uncomprehendingly for a moment, horrified because he believed himself trapped yet again, then he started and made for the window. Forgotten was Aragorn, the only thing that mattered now was to escape.

He jumped onto the window sill; in the darkness, he could make out that the walls of the castle blended into the trees, thus providing plenty means of escape. Gollum did not hesitate but grabbed the nearest branch and pulled himself up; he needed to get away, and climbing had never been a problem for him.

-

Aragorn dreams of his father. Strange have his dreams been of late, mainly consisting of noncoherent pictures which left him quite confused when he woke up; now, however, something seems to have changed. He can see Elrond in his garden, tending to the flowers; a very familiar picture. Aragorn can almost smell the rich scents of the blossoms, and the sun seems to warm his face. He wishes to speak to his father, but Elrond has not noticed him yet; the Ranger does not call out to him, though, since somehow it does not seem right. He waits for Elrond to turn around, content with watching him. Until now he had not realized how much he has missed his father. It has been a long time since they have last spoken with each other, and there are issues which have still to be discussed, but those seem of no importance now; Elrond means safety, always has, and that is what Aragorn´s heart suddenly is craving for.

He barely remembers the dream when he wakes up in the following morning, but a feeling of unease prepossesses him. He cannot explain it and does not mention it to Legolas or Baram either; the prince has his own burden to bear, which is evident in his strained features.

-

Legolas has in fact not found much sleep; his heart is still heavy. While he was among the trees in the previous evening he has realized that Aragorn is right about his father; Thranduil was trying to make amends and they sounded sincere indeed. Involuntarily, Legolas smiles: it must have been hard for the king to admit his mistake, and even harder to apologize. He shakes his head: the situation cannot go on like this. He needs to talk to Thranduil.

Slowly, he walks to his father´s study where he is most likely to be found before breakfast; he never sleeps late and likes to get part of his work done with the songs of the early birds accompanying him.

Legolas is about to knock on the door when it opens and Fenghel leaves the room. This time, he only inclines his head mutely; the prince cannot say what exactly has changed between them, but they stare at each other with barely concealed aversion.

Thranduil looks up in surprise when he hears his son enter, then rises quickly: "Legolas-" is all he says before he interrupts himself, clearly afraid to say something wrong. It pains Legolas how cautiously hopeful his voice sounds, and suddenly everything he intended to say seems forgotten.

"Father", he replies, quietly, and suddenly feels helpless. "Did you really mean what you said to Aragorn?"

Thranduil gasps: "Why, yes! I meant every singly word of it!" He returns his son´s inquiring gaze pleadingly: "I have realized the grave mistake I have made, and it pains me greatly how ill-conceived my actions were. I have vowed not to let my prejudices guide me again, Legolas. I am terribly sorry..." His voice his barely audible now, for emotion makes it hard to speak: "... and I beg you to forgive me as well. You of all... I know how disappointed you must be."

-

They look at each other for an unaccounted time. Legolas finally takes a step forward, opening his arms to allow his father to embrace him. Shaken, Thranduil hugs his son close; they are the only ones left of their family, and only now do they realize how lonely they have been without each other.

No more words are spoken for a while. When they finally pull apart, Legolas smiles at his father: "I do not know who is more hard-headed, you or I."

Thranduil laughs, relief washing through him; he has missed his son more than he could say.

"I wish we could speak of a lighter subject", he now says. "But I fear I have ill news; apparently, one of the younger guardsmen had taken pity on the creature Gollum and has freed him."

Legolas stares at his father: "What!", he cries. "That is ill news indeed!" His first urge is to run back to his room and make sure that Aragorn is safe, but then he forces himself to calm down: Baram is with Aragorn, and Gollum surely would not linger near the castle, would he?"

Thranduil looks stricken: "I have ordered for the guards to search for him; it would grieve me if he escaped from our custody. Mithrandir has informed of the importance that he is kept safe, and how long it took to capture him in the first place."

Legolas nods heavily; how to bear these news to Aragorn though, he cannot imagine.

--

**TBC**

--


End file.
